>What I think I've been seeing is that cluster feeding throughout the
>day has a very high rate of occurance in the population I work with.
>I would say that at least 75% of the dyads I've worked with have a
>cluster feeding pattern.

I often talk to mothers about 'cluster feeding' - that this is a
normal feeding pattern for a breastfed baby. eg "Baby will probably
have several feeds in a row close together and may or may not sleep
in between. After a few of these feeds, he is likely then to have a
long sleep. This is normal for a breastfed baby. And very common for
this to happen in the evenings." etc.

I think they get so much information phrased as '4-hourly' or
'3-hourly' feeds, etc from others in the community that they come to
expect a baby to feed according to the clock - sort-of a basic
assumption. There still seems to be this artificial feeding/'routine'
mindset out there. When I talk to a mother about cluster feeds being
normal, it's almost like a light bulb going on, because it is often
exactly what her baby is doing, and she had been worried that there
was something wrong with the way she is feeding.
******************************************************************
Joy Anderson B.Sc. Dip.Ed. Grad.Dip.Med.Tech. IBCLC
Nursing Mothers' Association of Australia Breastfeeding Counsellor
Perth, Western Australia.   mailto:[log in to unmask]
******************************************************************

             ***********************************************
The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html